Cooking range



R. D. SCHIBLEY COOKING RANGE Dec. 19, 1967 s'sheets-sheetl Filed Aug.20, 1965 FIG. I.

IAIIVENTOR. Raymond D. Schibley WITNESSES ATTORNEY Dec. 19, 1967 R. D.SCHIBLEY COOKING RANGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 20, 1965 Dec. 19,1967 R. D. SCHIBLEY COOKING RANGE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 20, 1965United States Patent 3,358,669 COOKING RANGE Raymond B. Schibley,Ashland, Ohio, assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation,Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. 20, 1965, Ser.No. 481,213 9 Claims. (Cl. 126-37) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Cookingrange suitable for installation in the corner of a room which comprisesa pair of ovens and a plurality of platform heating elements, theheating elements being disposed on a rotatable platform which is soconstructed as to permit the heating elements to be hidden from viewwhen not in use.

This invention relates, in general, to cooking ranges, and moreparticularly to cooking ranges suitable for instal lation in the cornerof a room. a

A desirable feature of modern home kitchen design is that of providingan optimum amount of counter and shelf space. To this end, some cookingranges, having their surface heating elements mounted on a drawer-likestructure slidable from beneath an overlying surface, have beenutilized.

Other cooking ranges are provided with a rotatable platform havingsurface heating elements mounted thereon. One such platform comprises agenerally circular configuration with a peripheral truncated portionwhich may be aligned with the front wall surface of a supporting cabinetstructure for minimizing protrusion into the working area. The platformin this instance underlies a shelf structure permitting all or some ofthe heating elements to be concealed when not in use.

It is a common expedient in cooking ranges of the types discussed aboveto provide an eye-level oven which is mounted in the supporting cabinetstructure vertically above the drawer-like structure or rotatableplatform. In accord with present day practice, the oven may be providedwith means for power venting thereof. It is, therefore, desirable toprovide a common duct system for power venting of the surface heaterunits and/ or ovens.

While the arrangements discussed above provide ample counter and shelfspace, they are not suitable for installation in the corner of a roomnor are they provided with adequate exhaust means.

Accordingly, it is the general object of this invention to provide a newand improved cooking range.

It is a more particular object of this invention to provide a new andimproved cooking range with a rotatable platform supporting surfaceheaters, suitable for installation in the corner of a room.

Another object of this invention is to provide common exhaust means forthe oven and surface heating units of a cooking range.

Briefly, the present invention accomplishes the abovecited objects byproviding a cooking range with a supporting cabinet structure having anupper compartment with end portions lying in mutually perpendicularplanes, each of which is adapted to support on oven therein. The cabinetstructure is further provided with a lower hollow member underlying theupper hollow member and, also having, end portions lying in mutuallyperpendicular planes. The front walls or edges of the upper member liein mutually perpendicular planes as do the front walls or edges of thelower member. The rear walls of the cabinet which are common to theupper and lower members are also mutually perpendicular to facilitateinstallation of the cabinet structure in the corner of a room.

3,358,669 Patented Dec. 19, 1967 A platform carrying a plurality ofheating elements is supported for rotation into and out of the lowerhollow member and has a generally circular configuration with a cutoutsegment delineated by walls lying in mutually perpendicular planes suchthat the platform may be completely concealed by the top wall of thelower member which serves as additional counter surface or a storageshelf. Alternatively, the platform, which may also be provided with astorage drawer, cutting board or the like, may be rotated to variousselected positions for providing access to one or all of the heatingelements, the storage drawer or the cutting board.

A duct system is provided in the upper member of the cabinet beneath theovens such that a pair of elongated inlet openings thereof, communicatewith openings in the front intersecting walls adjacent the lower edgesthereof. Air circulating means is provided in the duct system and servesto draw air heated by the surface heaters through the aforementionedinlet openings. The air circulating means is also adapted tosimultaneously exhaust air from both of the ovens.

To eliminate possible interference between the doors of the two ovenssimultaneously opening thereof, structure is provided for mounting thedoors which structure permits sliding of the doors into the cabinet.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe following description proceeds and features of novelty whichcharacterize the invention will be pointed out in particularity in theclaims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a cooking range representing theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to the range illustrated in FIG. 1,but with the heater carrying platform thereof rotated to an operativeposition and with one of the oven doors in the opened position;

FIG. 3 is a right side view of the range illustrated in FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the range illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a gmentary perspective the top of the open oven of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, especially FIGS. 1-3, reference character 10designates generally a cooking range comprising a supporting cabinetstructure 11 having upper and lower hollow member 12 and 13,respectively.

The lower member 13 comprises a horizontal top wall 14, a substantiallypie-shaped front wall 16, a bot-tom wall 17 and a pair of side walls 18which together define a compartment 19 (FIG. 3). A heater elementsupporting platform 21 is rotatably secured to the cabinet structure 11by means of a rotatable collar arrangement 20 thereby adapting it forselective rotation such that all or a portion thereof is disposed withinthe compartment 19. The collar arrangement 20, as shown in FIG. 3, ispreferably hollow in order that a plurality of electrical conductorssuch as the conductor 22 may be inserted therethrough for connection toone of a plurality of conventional coil type heating units 23-25 and apie-shaped griddle 26 carried by the platform 21.

The platform 21 has, in general, a circular configuration with a pair ofintersecting walls 27 defining a cutout segment. The platform may berotated to a first selected position (see FIG. 1) where the intersectingwalls 27 are aligned with the intersecting portions of the front wall 16of the cabinet 11. It will be understood that in this, the inoperativeposition, the platform is disposed completely within the compartment 19and does not, therefore, obstruct the work area and also allows accessto view looking toward cabinets or drawers which may be disposedtherebeneath. T he platform 21 may also be rotated to the position shownin FIG. 2 for exposing all of the heating units 23-25 and the griddle26. The platform may be provided with a storage drawer (not shown) and acutting board or the like (not shown). A commutating switch arrangement(not shown) may be used for supplying electrical energy, via manuallyoperable switches 2840, to those heating units that are exposed frombeneath the top surface. The particular commutating switch is not hereillustrated because it does not form a part of the invention, moreover,such a switch is old as is shown and described in US. Patent No.3,165,627 to R. L. Gault et al., assigned to the same assignee of thisapplication. While the platform 21 is disclosed as being supported forrotation it may be stationarily mounted Without departing from the scopeof the invention.

The upper hollow member 12 of the cabinet structure 1-1 comprises a topwall 31, front walls 32, side walls 33, and a bottom wall 34. Each ofthe front walls 32 is provided with a relatively large opening 36 (seeFIG. 2) for receiving an oven 37 and somewhat smaller openings 38 to bediscussed hereinafter. A door structure 39 is provided in registry withthe openings 36 for closing the oven and for providing access to theinterior thereof.

The door structure 39 is pivotally mounted adjacent the upper edgesthereof, for example, by means of Z- shapecl members it! (see FIG.having a substantially cylindrical configuration and hook-shaped members41 adapted to engagingly receive the foot portions of the L-shapedmembers 40. Upper channel-shaped tracks 42 and 43 are suitably securedto the underside of the top wall 31. Together the tracks 42 and 43 serveto guide and retain the side edges of the door for sliding thereof intothe interior of a cavity between the top of the oven 37 and the top wall31. There are two pairs of tracks 42 and 43, one for each of the doors.The above-described arrangement enables the user to open both oven doors37 simultaneously for placing or removing foodstuff. A plurality ofracks 44 which may be of any conventional type, for example, pivotal orslide-out are suitably supported for movement into and out of the ovens37.

An exhaust fan, not shown, may be conventionally supported in a verticalvent duct 46 (see particularly FIG. 4) to draw heated air from each ofthe ovens 37 and the air heated by the heating units 23-25 and thegriddle 26 by means of a duct system generally indicated 47. The ductsystem 47 comprises tubular members 48 connecting each of the ovens 37to the lower end of the vent duct 46 and a substantially Y-shapedtubular member 49 connecting the openings 38 to the vent duct 46. Theair heated by the heating units 2325 and the griddle 26 is drawn throughopenings 38 and introduced into the Y- shaped members through openings,not shown, in the upper branches thereof. Simultaneously, the air heatedin the ovens 37 is drawn through the L-shaped members 40 and along withthe air heated by the surface units is exhausted from the top wall 31through an extension of the exhaust or vent duct 46. It will beunderstood that the vent duct 46 could be directly connected to theoutside of the house or any suitable means may be provided for carryingthe hot gases from the vent 46 to the outside atmosphere. The exhaustfan, not shown, may be energized by means of a switch control knob, notshown, mounted on a front panel 52 adjacent the surface heater controlknobs 28-30 and oven control knobs 53 and 53.

While there has been shown and described what is at present consideredto be the preferred embodiment of the invention, modifications theretowill readily occur to those skilled in the art. It is not desired,therefore, that the invention be limited to the specific arrangementshown and described and it is intended to cover in the appended claimsall such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. Cooking apparatus comprising, supporting cabinet structure havingfront edge portions lying in intersecting planes, a rotatable platformhaving a generally circular configuration with a cutout section havingwall portions lying in intersecting planes, means for rotatably securingsaid platform to said cabinet structure such that in one rotatedposition of said platform the intersecting walls thereof are alignedwith the intersecting front edge portions of said cabinet structure,said cabinet structure having a longitudinal top surface serving as onewall of a compartment wherein said platform is housed when in saidone-rotated position, a plurality of surface heaters supported by saidplatform and adapted to be carried thereby to a position intermediatesaid front edge portions of said cabinet structure.

2. A cooking range suitable for installation contiguous intersectingWalls of a room, said apparatus comprising: supporting cabinet structurehaving intersecting front edge portions, a range element carrying memberhaving generally a circular configuration with a cutout section havingintersecting wall portions, means for supporting said carrying memberfor rotation relative to said supporting cabinet such that theintersecting wall portions of said carrying member are aligned with saidintersecting front edge portions of said cabinet structure in a selectedrotated position.

3. A cooking range comprising, supporting cabinet structure having ahorizontal shelf portion and intersecting front edge portions, 21 rangeelement platform having a generally cylindrical configuration with acutout section delineated by intersecting wall portions, means forsupporting said platform for rotation subadjacent said horizontal shelfportion, said platform being rotatable to a first selected positionwhereat said shelf portion completely overlies said platform and saidintersecting wall portions of said platform are aligned with saidintersecting edge portions of said supporting structure.

4. A cooking range comprising, supporting cabinet structure having ahorizontal shelf portion and intersecting front edge portions, a rangeelement platform having a cutout section delineated by intersecting wallportions, means supporting said platform for rotation beneath said shelfportion, a plurality of heating elements supported by said platform forrotation therewith, said platform being rotatable to a first selectedposition where said shelf completely overlies said platform and saidintersecting front edge portions are aligned with said intersecting wallportions of said platform, said platform being rotatable to a secondselected position where at least one of said heating elements liesintermediate said intersecting front edge portions of said supportingstructure.

5. Cooking range apparatus, comprising, in combination, supportingcabinet structure provided with a horizontal shelf and at least oneupper compartment overlying said horizontal shelf and adapted to receivean oven, said horizontal shelf having intersecting front edge portions,2. platform having a generally circular configuration with a cutoutsection delineated by intersecting surfaces of the platform, meanssupporting said platform for rotation subadjacent said shelf, aplurality of heating elements supported by said platform for rotationtherewith, said platform being rotatable to a first selected positionwhere said shelf completely covers said platform, said platform beingrotatable to a second position whereby at least one of said heatingelements lies intermediate the planes of said intersecting surfaces, andair circulating means disposed in said compartment for exhausting airheated by said platform heating elements and heating elements in saidoven.

6. Cooking apparatus comprising, supporting cabinet structure havingintersecting front edge portions and provided with at least onecompartment vertically spaced above said intersecting edges, a rangeelement platform having a generally circular configuration with a cutoutsection delineated by intersecting wall portions, a plurality of heatingelements carried by said platform, means for supporting said platformfor rotation relative to said supporting cabinet such that at least oneof said heating elements in one rotated position lies between saidintersecting front edge portions, an oven in said compartment, ductmeans in said compartment for directing air heated by said heatingelements and heaters in said ovens to vent means from said compartment,and air-circulating means in said compartment interconnecting said ductmeans with said vent means.

7. Structure as specified in claim 6, wherein said duct means isprovided with at least one open end in registry with an opening in thefront of said compartment.

6. Cooking apparatus comprising: supporting cabinet structure havingupper and lower members, said upper member having end portions lying inintersecting planes, a heating element supporting platform, means formounting said platform for selective rotation into and out of said lowermember, an oven in each of said end portions, air exhaust means in saidupper member having one end communicating with the atmosphere, ductmeans in said upper member connecting said ovens with said air exhaustmeans and communicating with openings in the front wall of said uppermember, said air exhaust means being effective to carry away heated airfrom said ovens and air heated by said heating elements carried by saidplatform.

9. Cooking apparatus comprising: supporting cabinet structure havingupper and lower hollow members, said upper and lower members having endportions lying in intersecting planes for adapting installation of saidcabinet structure in the corner of a room, an oven supported in each endof said upper hollow member, a door mounted in registry with each oven,means for pivotally mounting said doors to said upper hollow member andmeans therein for slidably receiving and supporting said doors withinsaid hollow member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,979,053 4/1961 Crispell et al.l26194 3,089,479 5/1963 Perl 126299 X 3,153,407 10/1964 Frick 126-373,165,627 1/1965 Gault et al. 126-37 X FOREIGN PATENTS 436,668 10/1935Great Britain.

CHARLES J. MYHRE, Primary Examiner.

1. COOKING APPARATUS COMPRISING, SUPPORTING CABINET STRUCTURE HAVING FRONT EDGE PORTIONS LYING IN INTERSECTING PLANES, A ROTATABLE PLATFORM HAVING A GENERALLY CIRCULAR CONFIGURATION WITH A CUTOUT SECTION HAVING WALL PORTIONS LYING IN INTERSECTING PLANES, MEANS FOR ROTATABLY SECURING SAID PLATFORM TO SAID CABINET STRUCTURE SUCH THAT IN ONE ROTATED POSITION OF SAID PLATFORM THE INTERSECTING WALLS THEREOF ARE ALIGNED WITH THE INTERSECTING FRONT EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID CABINET STRUCTURE, SAID CABINET STRUCTURE HAVING A LONGITUDINAL TOP SURFACE SERVING AS ONE WALL OF A COMPARTMENT WHEREIN SAID PLATFORM IS HOUSED WHEN IN SAID ONE ROTATED POSITION, A PLURALITY OF SURFACE HEATERS SUPPORTED BY SAID PLATFORM AND ADAPTED TO BE CARRIED THEREBY TO A POSITION INTERMEDIATE SAID FRONT EDGE PORTIONS OF SAID CABINET STRUCTURE. 